Faithlessness

I’ve been thinking about faith recently. Or, to be more accurate, what seems to be a lack of faith among people who profess to be Christian.

Now, before I go any further, let me just say I am not talking about you. If you think I am talking about you, then maybe this is something for you to think about and pray over. Just saying.

I have been going through a difficult time for the past couple of years. Unemployment, cancer, pancreatitis, giving up my apartment to move in with a friend, surgery, having to move to a temporary home that I have to move out of very soon, underemployment, arthritis, car dying slowly, etc., etc., etc. But through it all, my faith has remained intact.

Granted there have been times when my faith has wavered. I have wondered at times why God has had me go through such difficulties. But then I have prayed and my faith has been bolstered and strengthened.

But that leads me to other people’s lack of faith. They go to church, read the Bible, pray (at least in church) and sing hymns. They say they believe and have faith. But then they will say that God just doesn’t just hand things to people. He doesn’t just give people homes, jobs, cars, and other necessities of life. It just doesn’t happen that way. You have to EARN these things. YOU have to provide them for yourself.

One quote they like to say is “God helps those who help themselves”. Well, that is not in the Bible. That is a quote from Ben Franklin. And it is untrue.

God doesn’t just provide help to those who earn it. He doesn’t expect us to jump through hoops or perform certain duties in order for him to bless us.

He blesses us because he loves us. Plain and simple. We are his children. And he takes care of us.

Do you need proof? Do you have a place to live? Do you have food to eat? Do you have clothes to wear? Do you have what you need at this moment in time to be comfortable and safe?

Where do you think this comes from? It comes from God. God provided it for you. Yes, you earned the money to buy the house or pay the rent. You earned the money to buy the food. You earned the money to buy the clothes. But it still is a gift from God. He provided the means in which you earned all this stuff. He blessed you with all the blessings in your life.

My life isn’t the way I want it right now. God knows this. I’m not sure why my life is the way it is but I am certainly learning a great deal about how people struggle in this world. I understand homelessness much better since, technically speaking, I don’t have a home. I understand hunger because I have to be careful to buy only what I need and not stock up with things I don’t need. Besides which, I rely on food stamps to buy most of the food I need. I understand a lack of medical care because I have to be very careful that I don’t get hurt or get sick or anything else that would prevent me from working because, even though I have medical insurance, there are still co-pays, prescriptions and no sick time at the job I do have. I understand unemployment and under-employment because I have lived it for a couple of years.

There is a reason why God is having me go through this valley right now. Someday I will know why. But in the mean time, my faith is strong and growing stronger with each passing day.

So for everyone who tells me that prayer is all well and good but I need to DO SOMETHING NOW….well….I am doing what I can do but, with the lack of cheap places to live and lack of jobs to apply to that pay enough to pay rent, prayer is the only thing I have to rely on.

God will provide. I believe this wholeheartedly. But other people’s lack of faith really grinds away at my faith. And it really grinds at my faith when it happens at church or I hear it from people who confess to be Christian. Life is scary enough right now but other people’s faithlessness makes it even scarier.

Despite what other people say, I am going to keep praying. I am going to, as I have been doing, pray when I wake up, pray while I get ready for work, pray at work, pray driving home, pray while doing laundry, pray while cooking and doing dishes, pray when going to bed and pray when I wake during the night. I am going to keep praying for God to provide, pray in thankfulness for the blessings he has given me, pray for his strength and mercy to keep me strong and pray for his peace to keep me calm.

Please, whatever you do, don’t give lip service to prayer. It is talking with God. And that is not something to be taken lightly.

Truly believe and have faith. God created all, therefore he will take care of you.